Written Answers

Monday 21 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1605 by Iain Gray on 17 January 2000, what percentage of the £140 and £200 average weekly contributions to the cost of long term residential care or long term nursing care made by older people who receive contributions to the costs of their care only from the Department of Social Security was accounted for by (a) nursing care costs and (b) other care costs.

Iain Gray: All of the estimated £140 per week contributed towards their care costs by people in residential care in 1998-99 is accounted for by costs other than nursing care costs. The higher contributions made by people in long term nursing care reflect the additional costs of providing such care. 30% of the estimated £200 per week thus is accounted for by nursing care costs.

Enterprise

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce unemployment by encouraging the establishment of new business in areas such as Glasgow.

Henry McLeish: Wider national economic performance is likely to be the main determinant of trends in small business creation, and its employment opportunities, and the prospects for the Scottish economy remain good. However, we have a number of specific initiatives in hand to increase the number of start-up businesses assisted by the enterprise network, and to improve the quality and consistency of advice and support for small businesses across Scotland. We will announce details of these improvements shortly.

  In Glasgow itself, Glasgow Development Agency, Glasgow City Council and other partners have a number of local schemes in place to enhance business and employment creation.

Environment

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sewage disposal systems are planned in the West of Scotland and elsewhere which incorporate the discharge of diluted untreated liquid sewage into publicly accessible burns, rivers or lochs.

Sarah Boyack: West of Scotland Water Authority is currently implementing a major investment programme of extension, modernisation and replacement of its existing waste-water collection and treatment systems. This programme has many elements, including the improvement of combined storm water overflows whose operation has an adverse impact on the aquatic environment. Storm water overflows protect the network from overloading by diverting excess flow in exceptional conditions. A survey has been undertaken of the 1,000-plus storm overflows from the waste-water systems inherited by West of Scotland Water. Approximately 20% of these were found to be unsatisfactory in performance, and the investment programme will address this.

  In all situations where combined storm water overflows are to be installed or improved, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is consulted to ensure that discharges will not adversely impact the quality of the waters into which the overflows discharge. The Agency then grants, amends or refuses, under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, a formal Consent to Discharge which would define the frequency, extent and quality of any discharges.

  Throughout the United Kingdom, there are estimated to be around 25,000 combined sewer overflows in operation, and all sewerage undertakers are currently implementing similar improvement programmes.

Environment

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the consultation document on the regulatory changes required to implement Council Directive 96/29/Euratom, laying down community basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionising radiation.

Sarah Boyack: After consultation with interested parties last year, I have today published the proposals on the regulatory changes required to implement aspects of the Basic Safety Standards Directive 96/29/Euratom concerned with the control of radioactive waste. The proposals involve the minimum of change to the existing regulatory framework under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA 93) and fulfil the Government’s commitment that implementation of the Directive would not lead to a weakening of existing controls. Copies of the document, entitled The Proposals for the Radioactive Substances (Basic Safety Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and the Radioactive Substances (Basic Safety Standards) (Scotland) Direction 2000 can now be found in the Library, and on the Scottish Executive website.

  The proposed Regulations made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, will provide controls on the disposal of certain types of old clocks and watches containing radioactive luminising material, which are currently exempt from regulation. The proposed Direction to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency made under section 40 of the Environment Act 1995 will put a number of its existing administrative practices, in discharging its duties under RSA 93, into legally binding obligations.

  The measures parallel those to be taken elsewhere in the United Kingdom to ensure that the Community Basic Safety Standards can be implemented across the United Kingdom by the due date of 13 May 2000.

Ferry Operations

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2406 by Sarah Boyack on 26 January 2000, whether lead responsibility for the resolution of the position of the Ballycastle-Campbeltown ferry lies with The Scottish Executive or The Scotland Office.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive is continuing to maintain a dialogue with all interested parties including the Scotland Office regarding this matter. The decision about whether Sea Containers will continue to operate this route is a commercial matter for the company. However, all options are being explored.

Ferry Operations

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3866 by Sarah Boyack on 21 January 2000, whether it will include within the review of Caledonian MacBrayne’s fares structure a route by route analysis of fare pricing.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive are working in conjunction with Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd to establish the base information which is necessary to calculate the profitability, or otherwise, of individual ferry routes. The CFARES review is the first step towards establishing more accurate and robust data.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3768 by Mr Jack McConnell on 28 January 2000, whether it will state with which business representative bodies he met and, of these, with which he discussed the proposed setting of the business rate poundage for Scotland at a higher level than that in England.

Mr Jack McConnell: I met and discussed issues related to the forthcoming non-domestic rates revaluation in Scotland with The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland, The Federation of Small Businesses, The Scottish Chambers of Commerce, The Confederation of British Industry in Scotland, The Scottish Valuation and Rating Council, The Chemical Industries Association, Scottish Financial Enterprise and The Scottish Retail Consortium.

Health

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of NHS complaints currently dealt within the 20 working day target.

Susan Deacon: Figures for 1998-99 confirm that almost 75% of all written complaints to Trusts are responded to within the 20-day period.

  We constantly urge Trusts to handle complaints as quickly as possible. With the support of the Health Service Commissioner for Scotland, who is independent of both the NHS and the Scottish Executive, training events are held regularly for staff and lay volunteers involved in the NHS complaints procedure. These events also serve to identify areas where changes in the Directions and Guidance issued in 1996 are needed. Revised and simplified guidance to the NHSiS was issued last June, and the Directions upon which the Guidance is drawn are now currently under review.

  A review of the current complaints process is underway, with a UK-wide evaluation which began in January 1999. The researchers are aiming to issue an interim report by March 2000 and a completed report by February 2001. This is intended to be a practical and realistic analysis based as far as possible on the actual experiences of those using and operating the procedure. The report will be used as a tool to further refine the process so that it better meets its original aims and principles.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the division of responsibilities between it and Her Majesty’s Government’s Minister for e-commerce, in particular for e-commerce and for new and emerging information and communication technologies in general.

Henry McLeish: The e-minister is responsible for e-commerce issues relating to reserved matters and the Scottish Executive is responsible for e-commerce issues relating to devolved matters.

Information Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty’s Government about the role and responsibilities within Scotland of Alex Allan, its "e-envoy", and, if so, what the outcome was.

Henry McLeish: Alex Allan took up post as e-envoy in January. The e-envoy chairs meetings of the Information Age Government Champions Network and the Executive’s representative within that network attended two such meetings last month. Mr Allan met Scottish Executive representatives most recently on Friday 11 February. A wide range of issues was discussed, including the promotion of the use of ICTs by business and by the public sector in Scotland. Mr Allan is responsible for promoting and co-ordinating the use of ICTs in relation to reserved matters in Scotland.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to whether the direction scheme in respect of the Public Defence Solicitors’ Office contravenes article 14 of the European Commission of Human Rights.

Mr Jim Wallace: The direction criteria which applies to those accused required to use the Public Defence Solicitors’ Office is set by the Scottish Legal Aid Board which is a Non-Departmental Public Body established under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986. We do not believe, however, that the direction is in breach of article 14.

Local Government Finance

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the formula and calculation used for the non-housing capital allocation to West Dunbartonshire Council in 1999-2000.

Mr Jack McConnell: S1W-3658 explained the base formula used from 1997-98. With the full agreement of CoSLA, receipts were taken into account in the calculations from 1999-2000. The calculation uses local authorities’ forecasts of receipts to be raised in year to adjust the net allocations upwards, for those councils who have a low level of receipts’ raising capacity, or downwards for those councils who have a high level of receipts’ raising capacity. The new approach increased West Dunbartonshire’s base allocation from £3.898 million to £4.192 million.

Local Government Finance

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which formula is used to allocate capital allowances to local authorities on an authority by authority basis and who has responsibility for determining the total capital allowances for all local authorities in Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: By agreement with CoSLA, the single allocation formula is used to determine the main part of the non-housing capital allocations for local authorities. The formula has two parts – a base calculation (explained in the answer to question S1W-3658) which is then adjusted to take account of capital receipts. The formula allocation represents a measure of relative need for non-housing capital spend between councils.

  In addition to the formula allocation, local authorities also receive capital allocations for the HRA programme, New Housing Partnerships, project specific allocations and allocations for government initiatives.

  Scottish Ministers are responsible for determining the total capital allocations for all local authorities in Scotland. As part of the new arrangements introduced by the Public Finance and Accountability Act, the aggregate figure for local authority capital allocations is specified in the Budget Bill which is subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

Police

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding is provided to police forces to ensure that they adequately comply with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mr Jim Wallace: It is for Scottish police forces to comply with the law, including any relevant provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, from within the resources available to them.

Post Offices

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3292 by Henry McLeish on 20 January 2000, whether it will provide details of the contact both by letter and meetings held between it and Her Majesty’s Government on automated bank transfers for benefits from post offices and its effect on rural Scotland and make copies of all relevant correspondence available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Henry McLeish: No. Representations made to the UK Government invariably require to be made in confidence in the same way as representations received by the Scottish Executive would be treated.

Public Appointments

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what advertisements have been placed for the position of President of Employment Tribunals (Scotland), when they were placed and whether it will list the journals, newspapers and any other media in which they were published.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the closing date for applications for the post of President of Employment Tribunals (Scotland) was 1 February 2000, how many applications have been received; what arrangements have been put in place for determining a short list, interviewing and selecting a successful applicant, and who will form the selection panel.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the Member to my reply to his question S1O-1172.

Section 2A

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 applies to all grant-aided schools including Jordanhill, Donaldson’s and Harmeny schools.

Peter Peacock: Section 2A does not apply in general to grant-aided schools but does apply to all special schools including those that are grant-aided. Section 2A therefore applies to Donaldson's and Harmeny schools but not to Jordanhill School.

Section 2A

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 applies to Scotland’s remaining self-governing school, St Mary’s Episcopal Primary School in Dunblane.

Peter Peacock: This legislation does not apply to St Mary's Episcopal Primary School.

Section 2A

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed new guidelines in relation to section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 will apply to all grant-aided schools, including Jordanhill, Donaldson’s and Harmeny schools.

Peter Peacock: The new working group, which Mr Sam Galbraith announced on 10 February (PQ S1W-4293), will address the issue.

Statistics

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the first edition of the new Scottish Economic Statistics.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is publishing the first edition of the new Scottish Economic Statistics  today, 21 February,   as part of a new series of publications on the Scottish economy. Copies have been laid in SPICe.